Warriors: Mint and Finch
by charliepaceluver117
Summary: title will change. Mintpaw and Finchpaw are from two different Clans, but when a prophecy thrusts them together, they not only have to face the drama of their own lives, but also discover what it means to truly be a hero. bad summary, please R&R!
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hello future readers! First off, I know I have my other Warriors story to write, but my mind is blanking on it, and I already have a few chapters of this written! I'll try this and see how it goes, and hopefully all of you like it as well =] Please R&R, it'd be greatly appreciated!**

Prologue

Two groups of cats mingled underneath the full moon, walking between the trees of a large forest. It was peaceful, for the first time in moons, and everyone was able to relax. Usually, the groups had been fighting over prey or borders or other trivial arguments, but not now. Two cats stood on a rock above the others, about to start speaking, when suddenly a cat yowled, "Look— look at the sky!"

Every cat looked up and gasped, their eyes wide. Dark clouds were beginning to cover the sky. If that happened, the Gathering would have to end. It didn't often, only when their warrior ancestors were upset, so this was odd . . .

Two cats were staring into the sky with greatest intensity. The way they looked made them seem very wise and powerful, but now they just looked scared.

As soon as the clouds disappeared, the cats all relaxed, including the wise ones.

"Medicine cats, what have you seen?" one of the cats on the rock called.

A black she-cat, who was one of these medicine cats, looked up with frightened green eyes. "We just received a terrible prophecy from StarClan."

The group of cats erupted in loud and confused voices, wailing about what StarClan might have said. A stern yell from the other cat on the rock silenced them, though, so another cat could speak. He was brown and white, the other medicine cat.

"But we are not without hope," he said calmly, tail wrapped around his paws now.

"What did they say?!" "What is it?!" "Tell us!" were some of the phrases that the scared cats were yelling.

Finally, the black and brown cats spoke together: "In the near future, great danger will threaten the survival of the Clans and our very lives. It will be up to two cats, mint and finch, to bring peace and safety once again."

For once, their words were met by silence, everyone too shocked to respond. Only moments earlier they had been having a friendly get-together, but everything had changed.

Eventually, one of the cats gazed up into the night, where stars sparkled overhead. "Let us hope the two will come soon, before all is lost."

The other cat nodded its head. "Yes, and may StarClan be with them." Then they jumped off of the rock and headed back home.


	2. Allegiances

Allegiances

**ICECLAN**

**Leader- **Cloudstar- fluffy pale gray tom, blue eyes; apprentice- Mintpaw

**Deputy- **Thornfang- brown tabby tom with extra-sharp teeth

**Medicine Cat- **Sleekfur- lithe black she-cat

**Warriors- **Foxclaw- ginger tom with patches of fur ripped out; apprentice- Shortpaw

-Mossfire- light brown she-cat with fiery amber eyes

-Ripplewing- gray tabby she-cat; apprentice- Riverpaw

- Graystorm- dark gray tom, black tail

- Haretail- pale tom with a naturally stumpy tail

- Peppercloud- black tom with many specks of gray and white

- Fallenleaf- dark tortoiseshell she-cat

- Sleetpelt- white-and-gray tom

**Apprentices- **Mintpaw- small black she-cat with white paws and green eyes

-Riverpaw- long-limbed gray she-cat

-Shortpaw- broad-shouldered brown tom with one leg a little shorter than the other

**Queens- **Reedpool- very pretty silver tabby; mate- Sleetpelt

-Specklefoot- golden brown queen with small black specks; (kits: 2 older- Lionkit, Lightkit; 2 younger)

**Elders- **Dead-eye- blind black tom

-Grasstail- gray she-cat with a fluffy tail

- Smallflower- fragile-looking ginger she-cat but with a sharp tongue

- Rockpelt- old brown tom

**FIRECLAN**

**Leader- **Robinstar- dignified brown she-cat with dark brown stripes

**Deputy- **Swampstone- sturdy gray tom; apprentice- Finchpaw

**Medicine Cat- **Leafscar- brown and white tabby tom with a badly scarred nose; apprentice- Quailpaw

**Warriors-** Ashtail- white tom with a gray tail

** -**Smokecloud- smoky gray tom; apprentice- Rainpaw

- Pigeonwing- small dark brown tom; apprentice- Burningpaw

- Sootwhisker- gray tabby tom

- Orangeglow- friendly ginger she-cat

-Windwhisker- skinny tabby tom

**Apprentices- **Finchpaw- energetic brown she-cat

-Quailpaw- light tortoiseshell she-cat

- Rainpaw- solid gray tom

-Burningpaw- dark orange tom

**Queens- **Lilyfrost- white she-cat with piercing gray eyes; mate- Pigeonwing(4 kits)

-Goldenleaf- brown she-cat with ginger markings on her forehead and chest (2 kits)

- Redsky- red-brown she-cat; (1 kit)

**Elders- **Twistedleg- black tom with one permanently twisted foot

** -**Oldwillow- blue-gray she-cat

- Squirrelstripe- spirited ginger she-cat


	3. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, these chapters are shorter than what I normally do, but that's mostly because I was writing this in a notebook, making it seem like I wrote more than I actually did … but anyway, I hope you enjoy! And please review (you anonymous readers) because it really gives me motivation. Thanks =)**

**Disclaimer: Well, I don't own Warriors (only these characters) but you should all know that… **

Chapter 1

A cool breeze ruffled on the leaves of the willow tree as the sun slowly began to rise. A small black she-cat with white paws was sleeping in a nest of moss and feathers, eyes closed peacefully. She was dreaming about a nice, juicy vole . . .

"Mintpaw!"

Mintpaw jumped up, immediately awake, and her whole body was tense. Her fur relaxed slowly, though, when she saw who had called her name.

"Oh, hi, Thornfang," she meowed quietly to the brown tabby tom, who was also IceClan's deputy. His sharp teeth flinted in the sunlight, and he was obviously upset about something. Mintpaw gulped, trying to stop shaking before he saw. There was just something about him that intimidated her.

"You're supposed to be on the dawn patrol now," he growled. "Foxclaw is waiting."

The young apprentice scurried out of the apprentice den, self-consciously licking a stray piece of fur on her chest. Ever since the Clan leader, Cloudstar, had taken her on as his own apprentice, she felt as if her whole Clan was always watching her, expecting her to be a skilled hunter, or swift fighter. She hoped they wouldn't be disappointed when they discovered she was just a normal, boring apprentice.

Her ears pricked at the sound of rushing water nearby. All around her, cats were sleeping or just waking up, feeling cool from the shady willow and Cyprus trees. IceClan was located on a tiny island, separated from the rest of the forest by a long stream of water. The river was full of fish, and IceClan were masters at catching them. At that point, Mintpaw actually passed a pile of fish and the occasional vole, making her way over to the camp entrance. Reeds surrounded their camp, so the only way in and out was a small pathway, with paw steps embedded in the soft earth.

"There you are," a disgruntled ginger tom said. He turned his head to lick some of his fur, where it hadn't been ripped out from battle. Beside him was a broad-shouldered brown tom, kneading the ground anxiously. Mintpaw purred when she saw him. That was Shortpaw, one of the other apprentices. He was named that because of his back leg, which was a little shorter than all the others. It never got him down, though; he was one of the happiest cats she had ever known.

"Sorry Foxclaw, Sleetpelt."

The ginger tom, Foxclaw, huffed but he didn't reply, while the last cat Sleetpelt nodded and looked at her with sympathetic eyes. He shook his gray-and-white pelt to get rid of loose hails before looking up and purring. A pretty silver tabby was walking over to the fresh-kill pile slowly, her belly so swollen it almost touched the ground. She picked a fish up before turning back around.

"Reedpool!" Sleetpelt exclaimed. The tabby spun around, dropping her fish immediately, and walked over to her mate. Mintpaw stared at her paws, not wanting to interfere with the young cats' love.

"Will we _ever _make it out of camp?" Foxclaw grumbled.

Eventually, Reedpool left to go back to the nursery, fish in mouth, so Sleetpelt was ready for the patrol. Muttering under his breath, Foxclaw finally led the patrol out of camp, with Sleetpelt right beside him. Mintpaw followed aw well, but she went slowly so Shortpaw could keep up. He would still be a great warrior, but he just couldn't go as fast as everyone else.

"Thanks for helping the crippled," he joked, with Mintpaw looking down shyly.

As they trekked through the shrubs, Mintpaw kept her ears pricked at all times. Sometimes there mice and voles, and they got to experience something other than fish.

_Not that fish aren't delicious, _she thought to herself, _but it does get a bit . . . . dull. _

Mintpaw and the others lifted their noses to find the scent, but there was nothing there. Then again . . . what if it was an enemy cat, who was hiding his scent? The black apprentice gulped, trembling slightly. She had only been an apprentice for a quarter moon or so, so she had never experienced battle.

"Wait a moment, Shortpaw, don't do anything—" but before Foxclaw could even finish his sentence, his apprentice had leaped into the bushes, claws extended. There was hissing and yowling, when finally came a shocked mew.

"_What _are you doing?!" The rest of the patrol ran to where Shortpaw had gone, only to stop short and groan. The brown apprentice was on the ground, whiskers twitching in embarrassment, and above him stood a dark tortoiseshell she-cat. Her head was tilted to the side in confusion, with a robin at her foot.

Foxclaw sighed, narrowing his eyes at his inexperienced apprentice. "What did I tell you, Shortpaw? You're never to leap without thinking first! Sorry, Fallenleaf, if you lost your prey."

But the tortoiseshell only shrugged. "I can catch another mouse. I already caught a bird." Giving the apprentice one last look, Fallenleaf picked up her prey and began to head back to their camp. Still looking at the ground, Shortpaw rolled off of his back and onto his paws. Mintpaw wanted to support her friend, but she was too afraid of confronting Foxclaw.

Once they made it to the river, which was right across from FireClan territory, the patrol reset their markers. They technically had the land right next to the river on the other side, but FireClan frequently invaded it.  
_I wish we could catch them on our territory_, she thought. _Robinstar won't admit that her cats come on our land. _

"Well, let's get back," Sleetpelt said. "Cloudstar will want to know about the invasions." He said it as a sigh, because they went through this almost every day. They even attacked the FireClan camp once, but as soon as the enemy cats healed, they were back.

_They have no shame, _Mintpaw thought sadly.

"Come on, Mintpaw," Foxclaw called. Mintpaw, realizing that she was left behind, hurried to where the other cats were, anxious to tell Cloudstar, her mentor, the news.

_Here we come, Cloudstar. Be ready for more drama. _


	4. Chapter 2

A/N: Please review. I just want to know that people are actually reading this.

Chapter 2

"Again?" a shocked mew came from a fluffy gray tom. His blue eyes revealed distress, and for once he didn't try to hide it. Mintpaw watched as the tom dipped his head, looking at the ground as if he was thinking. Thornfang stood next to him. The brown tom's eyes glinted.

"Those fox-hearts!" the deputy hissed. "They have a whole forest of prey, and yet they still come into our territory. Cloudstar, we have to teach them a lesson, once and for all."

Next to Cloudstar sat a lithe black she-cat, who hadn't said a word yet. Her name was Sleekfur, IceClan's medicine cat. She had been working in her den, which was a hole underneath a Cyprus tree, when the patrol had returned. Apparently, she was very close with their leader, so she liked being there to support him.

_Especially now,_ Mintpaw thought, _when Cloudstar is realizing that no matter what we do it isn't enough. _

After a long silence, Cloudstar looked up again. The determined look in his eyes had returned, as if his doubt had lasted no more than a few moments. Turning to Thornfang, he mewed sternly, "Organize more patrols. I want any possible chance to find proof that they have been on our territory. Foxclaw, I want you to lead the midday patrol; take Fallenleaf, Peppercloud, and Shortpaw."

Nodding their heads, Thornfang and Foxclaw turned and left the den. Mintpaw was about to leave as well, but Cloudstar called to her first. "Y-yes, Cloudstar?" she asked.

He stared at her for a moment, as if seeing something she couldn't, before continuning, "I want to take you out hunting later, so rest up. But first, you can take some prey to the elders."

Eyes wide with seriousness, Mintpaw padded away before going to the fresh-kill pile. She grabbed a fish between her teeth, and then thought of Cloudstar. Whenever he wanted to train her, she got so nervous, as if by doing something wrong she would disappoint him. And then he goes and looks at her like that! She wasn't special by any means, so it always confused her.

_Oh well. Time to feed the elders, _she thought with a sigh, walking over to the willow tree, with nests right next to it. This was the shadiest part of camp, so the elders love it.

"Well, hello youngster!" a scrawny brown tom rasped. Next to him, a gray she-cat with a fluffy tail purred a greeting as well.

Dropping the fresh-kill on the ground, Mintpaw replied quietly, "Good morning Rockpelt, Grasstail. I brought you some food." She shuffled her paws as they thanked her before asking, "should I get Dead-eye and Smallflower something, too?" She was looking at a pair of cats sleeping in the corner. One had thin black fur, while the other had a fragile body with pale ginger fur hanging on it.

Rockpelt was already digging into the fish, but Grasstail responded. "Oh don't wake those cranky fur balls. They'll get something later." She then blinked before lowering her head into the food, signifying that Mintpaw should leave.

By now, the sun had risen and was completely over the camp. Most of the cats had woken up, so now they were either on patrols or basking in the heat. The relaxing heat was tempting, but she decided to eat next to the warriors den today.

The warriors den was located right next to the nursery, cut off from the rest of the camp by its own patch of reeds. Mintpaw slowly began to imagine what it was like being a warrior . . . being in charge . . . helping your Clan . . .

"Mintpaw!" Mintpaw reared back in surprise, her pelt burning in embarrassment when she saw how close she was to the warriors den entrance. She spun around to see who had called her, but immediately her legs started to quiver when she saw.

_Three _warriors—that's right, not just one—were standing in front of her, whiskers twitching in amusement. The pale tom in the middle, with a very short tail, purred and said, "Young apprentices sure are troublesome."

The tom black tom next to him, with hundreds of gray and white specks, agreed, "Yeah, _we _were never so bad. Right, Haretail? What about you, Mossfire?"

The last cat in the group, with light brown fur and fiery amber eyes, rolled her eyes and flicked the toms with her tail. "Don't listen to those two," Mossfire meowed. "Haretail and Peppercloud just like to tease." Then, leaving Mintpaw behind, the three warriors left the camp, talking the whole way.

Even though she knew they were joking, Mintpaw felt horrible that she almost invaded their den. The warriors den was a privilege they got- an upgrade from the apprentice den, which was simply underneath a large bush. It may have been an accident, but that didn't make her feel any less bad.

_I have to make sure I pay more attention, _she scolded herself.

A rustle from the reeds alerted Mintpaw that cats were exiting the warriors den, so she had enough time to back up. As soon as she got further away, two cats came out—one was Sleetpelt, and the other a gray tabby she-cat (_Ripplewing, _Mintpaw reminded herself).

Ripplewing didn't say anything to Mintpaw; she only nodded as greeting before calling over to a long-limbed gray she-cat who was lazily chewing a fish. As the sound of her name, she made a huff before stretching and meeting the older warrior.

"We're going hunting," Ripplewing said shortly before walking to the camp entrance.

The younger she-cat didn't show any emotions at first, but then her face relaxed and she was back to normal. At the sight of Mintpaw she sneered, "Daydreaming again, Mintpaw?" When the black apprentice didn't reply, she continued, "I mean, you and Shortpaw are so inexperienced, you'll never be warriors!"

"You're inexperienced, too, Riverpaw," she meowed meekly. She had wanted to yell it, but it came out as a whine, instead.

"Yeah, but I'm older than _you," _was Riverpaw's answer. Casting one last condescending glance at Mintpaw, Riverpaw padded away to meet her mentor.

Mintpaw knew that many of her Clanmates didn't believe she would be a good warrior; they probably thought she wouldn't even become one. With a despondent sigh, the young apprentice plopped onto the ground to rest after a very busy morning.


End file.
